About
Cockle Row Visitor Centre starts its season of 'Summer Sundays' on 8 June!
Each Sunday throughout the summer months of June, July and August, Cockle will see activities and entertainment visiting the seaside village of Groomsport to provide an afternoon of FREE fun!
Programme coming soon!
The cottages are open Thursdays - Sundays, 5 June - 14 September 2025.
Little explores can also have a go at our new sense trail, encouraging them to look, listen, smell and feel the natural surroundings of this special place. Pick up your free Explorers Pack/Senses Trail backpacks from the Visitor Information staff, inside, where you will also find a souvenir and summer fun essentials for the kids and you can wander the cottages to see what life was like for the family that lived there.
Cottages open from 11am - 5pm
Free family fun will take place weekly, on Sundays only from 2pm to 4pm
Programme of entertainment:
8 June
Come along to our first Sunday family fun day of the season. We’re pleased to welcome back some of our favourites! NI Falconry will bring their amazing display of birds of prey on the green with their handlers on hand to answer any questions about these fascinating creatures. You can also try your hand at calligraphy with Jacquie Brachi.
15 June
Boom Studios will be offering some family fun crafts in the cottage and Blackberry Farm will be bringing along their small animals. Or why not explore the village a little more? Borrow one of our Explorers Pack/Senses Trail backpacks to see what wonders you can find right here on your doorstep.
22 June
Do you have green fingers or want to learn more about bugs? Join Plant and Play who will be offering some family fun including crafts, a sensory explore table with microscopes and even some planting seeds to take home! Cockle Row regular, Christine, will be baking soda bread which you can taste fresh from the griddle.
29 June
Get involved with children’s storyteller Steve Lally who will bringing some tall tales and participation stories!
Then step into the fairy realm through fire and shadow with Mrs Maker! First, you’ll learn how to make your own charcoal using foraged twigs sealed in a tin and baked in fire—a simple, ancient process you can try at home with a wee take-away guide. With these handmade tools of transformation, you can explore the enchanted world of Irish folklore by drawing selkies, shadow-stags, and other mystical beings said to dwell just beyond the veil. Each mark made will be a whisper from the otherworld!!!
July and August programme to be confirmed.
Find out more about the picturesque village of Groomsport and Cockle Row, including information on seasonal tours of the village and on Groomsport Inclusive Beach.
Guide Prices
Free to attend. No tickets required.
